During the manufacturing processes of various products, holes or other openings may be formed within components such as panels, plates, bulkheads, or other structures of the like. Often the edges of these openings are sharp and may cut, abrade, or otherwise damage electrical elements, such as wires and cables intended to be passed through these openings. Grommets or plugs are commonly used to shield the edges of these openings. In particular, grommets or plugs may be used to protect these electrical elements from being severed or damaged when they are passed through and positioned in these openings.
Grommets are often installed in these openings by either pushing or pulling the grommet through the opening. As grommets may be designed to closely fit the panel openings, tools have been developed to assist in the installation process. Such installation tools are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,115, issued May 21, 1963 to Carr, U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,755, issued Nov. 29, 1960 to Prince, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,915,535, issued Mar. 29, 2011, to Carter.
To retain the wires, wire harnesses, and the like within the grommets, it is common to apply an adhesive, such as an epoxy or cement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,857, issued Jan. 28, 1969 to Miller et al., to provide a mechanical fastener, such as a clamp, about a segment of the grommet located exterior to the panel opening as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,440, issued Mar. 31, 1998 to Wright, or the like after the grommet is seated in the panel opening.